Google has agreed to pay $60m in penalties flowing from a long-running court fight with the Australian competition watchdog over the misleading of users on the collection of personal location data.
In April last year, the federal court found Google breached consumer laws by misleading some local users into thinking the company was not collecting personal data about their location via mobile devices with Android operating systems.
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The case revolved around whether it was sufficiently clear Google would still collect and access location data when a user’s location history was set to “off” but their web and app activity was “on” and one of its apps was used.
The company was also found to be in breach of two other consumer laws concerning conduct liable to mislead the public and making misleading representations about a service’s performance characteristics.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at the time called the judgment a clear message to digital platforms to be upfront with consumers about what is happening with their data.
On Friday, a brief federal court hearing was told a $60m penalty was agreed as “fair and reasonable” between the parties and that a joint submission had been submitted to Justice Thomas Thawley.
The court heard possible issues still in play were whether the penalty made future conduct “economically irrational” and if the penalty was suitable.
Thawley said he was satisfied the fine was in an appropriate range and thanked the parties before adjourning the case until later on Friday.
In-context: SSDs are becoming increasingly indispensable due to their speed advantages over standard disk drives, but a new study alleges SSDs cause significantly higher carbon emissions than HDDs despite being more energy efficient. However, different use case scenarios may change that picture.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of British Columbia recently published a study alleging that solid state drives can lead to double the carbon emissions of hard disk drives (HDDs). The study analyzes the carbon impact of different devices and components across their lifespans.
The researchers admit that operating SSDs consume less energy than HDDs, but claim that manufacturing SSDs results in far higher emissions. Most of an SSD’s carbon emissions have already occurred before anyone ever starts using it, assuming the manufacturing processes still rely primarily on fossil fuels.
The study argues SSDs have the highest emissions of any component in systems incorporating them, comprising 38 percent of a PC’s total emissions. In comparison, an HDD might be responsible for 9 percent of a system’s emissions, a GPU 11 percent, a CPU 4 percent, a motherboard 17 percent, the RAM 9 percent, a PSU 4 percent, and a chassis 6 percent.
That percentage presumes a 512GB SSD, but interestingly, it’s claimed that SSDs’ carbon cost during manufacturing increases linearly with capacity…
Comparing the theoretical emissions of both kinds of storage from manufacture to end-of-life, the study concludes that over a 5 to 10-year period, an HDD will use more energy than an SSD, but less than went into building the SSD.
The researchers assumed 20 percent active cycles and 80 idle cycles across the lives of both storage mediums. It’s possible that under similar workloads, an SSD’s speed would lead to fewer active cycles, increasing its energy efficiency lead over an HDD.
The study suggests methods for reducing emissions from storage. Designing longer-lasting SSDs is an obvious solution, as it could lead to fewer being made. Recycling and reusing flash storage (as well as other hardware components) also helps the environment.
Furthermore, SSDs aren’t always the best storage for every situation. HDDs are still significantly cheaper per gigabyte, which is why it’s smart for users and companies to employ them for cold storage (keeping a lot of data you don’t use often), while reserving SSDs for frequently-used files. Energy concerns are just one more advantage of the practice.
Billionaire Rupert Murdoch and model Jerry Hall have finalized their divorce after six years of marriage, Hall’s lawyer says.
Key points:
Murdoch is worth more than $US17 billion ($24 billion), according to Forbes
The couple reportedly signed a prenuptial agreement
It means the separation is unlikely to alter the ownership structure of businesses Murdoch holds stakes in
It was the fourth divorce for 91-year-old Murdoch, who married Hall, 66, in London in March 2016.
“Jerry and Rupert Murdoch have finalized their divorce,” lawyer Judy Poller said.
“They remain good friends and wish each other the best for the future.”
Australian-born Murdoch owns newspapers around the world and is worth more than $US17 billion ($24 billion), according to Forbes.
The couple signed a prenuptial agreement, The New York Times reported in June. It means the separation is unlikely to alter the ownership structure of businesses in which Murdoch holds stakes.
Those businesses include the parent companies of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.
Murdoch’s powerful global media empire also includes the New York Post, The Times of London and British tabloid The Sun.
Murdoch’s first wife was Patricia Booker, an Australian flight attendant he divorced in the late 1960s.
He and his second wife, Anna, a newspaper reporter, were together more than 30 years before divorcing in 1999.
His third marriage to Wendi Deng ended in 2013 amid media reports that she was romantically involved with Britain’s former prime minister Tony Blair, who has denied any impropriety.
Hall, who was born in Texas, in the United States, was the longtime partner of Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, with whom she has four children.
Hawthorn has responded to his potential pursuit of Brodie Grundy.
Plus a gun Docker has revealed he reached out to Luke Jackson amid intense speculation around the Demon’s future.
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HAWKS ANSWER GRUNDY QUESTION
Hawthorn has remained tight lipped on his potential pursuit of star Brodie Grundy amid uncertain around the star ruckman’s future at the Magpies.
The Hawks have been touted as a potential landing spot for Grundy following skipper Ben McEvoy’s retirement announcement this week.
Collingwood is reportedly shopping the 28-year old to rivals and willing to chip in $300,000 of his annual salary worth around $1 million until 2025 at another club, with the Demons and Giants reportedly already meeting with the big man.
Feet rebound from cap scandal | 02:10
Asked about the potential for Hawthorn to recruit Grundy, club CEO Justin Reeves told SEN: “That’s one for Mark McKenzie (list manager). I know that’s a cop out but the reality is there are so many variables in that.
“He’s probably got plenty of footy left in him, I don’t know the figures of his contract but what we should say is you look at every opportunity that you think would make your football club better.”
Grundy, who hasn’t played an AFL game since Anzac Day due to a PCL setback, had been nearing a return to the senior level before suffering a stress fracture in his ankle in a VFL match, ruling him out for the rest of the regular season.
The ruckman signed his current lucrative deal, estimated to be worth $7 million in total, at the end of 2019.
DARCY CHECKS IN ON JACKSON
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy has revealed he reached out to Luke Jackson to check in on the Demons star amid intense speculation around his future.
Jackson, who’s out of contract at the end of the season and weighing up his future, has been heavily linked with a move to the Dockers on a lucrative, long-term deal that would see him return to his home state.
Speaking on Triple M, Darcy said he at large contacted Jackson to see how he was traveling mentally with all the external noise.
“I’ve spoken to him about how he’s going. It’s a pretty tough decision for him,” Darcy told Triple M.
“Flattest” feeling after Pies loss | 02:25
“I just checked on him mentally, with everything going around. It’s pretty tough on him. His name of him ‘s in the newspaper every day.
“I had a little bit last year when (reports said) I was desperate to leave. But that never came from me, that was more media making it up.”
As Jackson doesn’t yet qualify or free agency, he’d need to move clubs via trade.
The former Pick 3 has played 48 AFL games for Melbourne including in its drought-breaking premiership win last year.
An Australian academic who is being tried with ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of violating the country’s official secrets law has testified in court for the first time, a legal official says.
Key points:
Professor Turnell denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty
Professor Turnell’s lawyers have been barred from talking about the case
All trials involving Ms Suu Kyi have been closed to the media and public
Sean Turnell, an economist at Sydney’s Macquarie University, had served as an adviser to Ms Suu Kyi, who was arrested when her elected government was usted by the army on February 1 last year.
He was arrested five days later and faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Professor Turnell is now being held in the main prison in Naypyitaw, the capital, as is Ms Suu Kyi.
Three of Ms Suu Kyi’s former cabinet members are being tried with them in a special court at the prison.
A legal official familiar with Thursday’s proceedings said Professor Turnell denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance, but details of his testimony are limited.
Professor Turnell’s lawyers have been barred from talking about the case, while all trials involving Ms Suu Kyi have been closed to the media and public.
The legal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information, said Professor Turnell and his co-defendants appeared to be in good health.
The exact details of the alleged offense in the case have not been made public, though Myanmar state television, citing government statements, said last year that Professor Turnell had access to “secret state financial information” and had tried to flee the country.
‘Trumped-up charges’
Friend and fellow economist Tim Harcourt told the ABC the opaque legal process was concerning.
“Let’s face it, it’s trumped-up charges by an authoritarian regime that wants to use Sean to discredit Aung San Suu Kyi. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.
“He’s pleaded not guilty because he’s not guilty.
“All he did was advise the Myanmar government on things they should do with their economy … providing good advice to improve the living standards of ordinary citizens.”
He said the advice from the previous Australian government was to take a “softly, softly” approach.
“But quite clearly, it hasn’t worked. It’s been 18 months now,” he said.
“The fact you can have such an authoritarian, murderous regime doing what it’s doing, and Australia hasn’t considered sanctions, is pretty surprising.
“Particularly given how quickly people acted with respect to Vladimir Putin with Ukraine, which was correct, they’ve sort of let Myanmar drift off.”
He said Foreign Minister Penny Wong had been more vocal about Professor Turnell’s case.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said he could not comment on the details of Australia’s consular access to Professor Turnell, but said the government was concerned about his situation.
“We are concerned about the level of access available to those providing consular services to Professor Turnell,” he said.
“Our most important engagement with Myanmar right now is around seeing a safe return of Professor Turnell to this country.
“And we will not rest until we have a situation where Professor Turnell is returned safely to Australia and safely to his country.”
Senator Wong has previously said sanctions are under active consideration and Professor Turnell is Australia’s top priority in Myanmar.
“Another question is, would sanctions make it worse for him or better for him? Does applying pressure put pressure on Myanmar or does it just anger them? So that’s a question for the judgment of the government,” Professor Harcourt said.
Professor Turnell and Ms Suu Kyi are being held in the main prison in Naypyitaw, the capital.(LinkedIn)
Professor Turnell is also being prosecuted under immigration law, which carries a punishment of six months to five years’ imprisonment. Prosecutions under immigration law are common for foreigners being held for other offences.
The judge adjourned Thursday’s proceedings until next week, when Ms Suu Kyi is to testify.
The case is one of many faced by Ms Suu Kyi and is widely seen as an effort to discredit her to prevent her return to politics.
The charges against her include corruption and election fraud. She has already been convicted of several minor offenses.
Last year’s military takeover sparked peaceful nationwide street protests that security forces quashed with lethal force, triggering armed resistance that some UN experts have characterized as civil war.
All week, former President Donald J. Trump’s allies pressed Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to explain the basis for the search warrant federal agents had executed at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence — and he refused to break the silence he wears like his unwrinkled, federal blue suit.
On Thursday, Mr. Garland finally responded, summoning the news media to a seventh-floor briefing room at the headquarters of the Justice Department to offer a public rationale. The new information he provided was extremely limited, and largely dependent on whether Mr. Trump’s lawyers choose to block the release of the warrant and other documents sealed by a federal judge.
But the fact that he felt compelled to speak at all says much about the high stakes and the depth of the possible pitfalls in a closely watched investigation.
Here are three takeaways.
Mr. Garland personally signed off on the search.
Justice Department officials have been exceedingly tight-lipped since Monday, when FBI agents entered Mr. Trump’s inner sanctum to emerge with boxes of sensitive documents the former president had taken with him to Florida. And they were particularly loath to discuss Mr. Garland’s role — whether he had approved the search or even if he knew prosecutors with his national security division had made the extraordinary request to sift through the personal property of an ex-president.
That silence fueled speculation that Mr. Garland was somehow out of the deciders’ loop, or that he wanted people outside the department to think the process was somehow on autopilot to provide himself with political cover.
The Trump Investigations
Cards 1 of 7
The Trump Investigations
Numerous inquiries. Since Donald J. Trump left office, the former president has been facing several different civil and criminal investigations across the country into his business dealings and political activities. Here is a look at some notable cases:
The Trump Investigations
Jan. 6 investigations. In a series of public hearings, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack laid out a powerful account of Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. This evidence could allow federal prosecutors, who are conducting a parallel criminal investigation, to indict Mr. Trump.
The Trump Investigations
Georgia election interference case. Mr. Trump himself is under scrutiny in Georgia, where the district attorney of Fulton County has been investigating whether he and others criminally interfered with the 2020 election in the state. This case could pose the most immediate legal peril for the former president and his associates of him.
Not so. Halfway through his terse, tense two-minute statement, he offered an unequivocal and resonant buck-stops-here assertion.
“I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter,” Mr. Garland said.
The ball is in Mr. Trump’s court.
Moments before Mr. Garland spoke, a top official in the Justice Department’s national security division, counterintelligence chief Jay I. Bratt, filed a motion to unseal the search warrant, along with an inventory of items retrieved in the search.
The last sentence of the document contained a critical caveat. It gave Mr. Trump’s legal team the opportunity to present a “countervailing” argument against releasing the warrant, putting the ultimate decision in the hands of the former president and the federal judge, Bruce Reinhart, presiding in the case.
Why is that important?
Because optics matter. to lot Mr. Garland, above all else, wants to avoid accusations that he is litigating cases in the public arena, which he believes will fatally compromise any potential prosecutions, and further damage the already shaky reputation of federal law enforcement following the out-front behavior in 2016 of James B. Comey, the former FBI director, regarding the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Proposing that the documents be made public — while giving Mr. Trump’s team the chance to thumbs-down their release — puts the onus of disclosure on the former president, and it affords Mr. Garland an opportunity to counter his critics, who have demanded he explain the rationale behind his actions.
Mr. Trump’s team has not yet said what they will do. Judge Reinhart has given them until 3 pm Friday to make their case either way.
Will the warrant contain any bombshells?
A federal search warrant, especially one issued in such a high-profile, high-stakes case, is likely to contain at least some new information and insights. But in most instances, they do not contain a trove of new detail, current and former prosecutors say.
Much of the important information included in the Mar-a-Lago warrant is already public, including the name of the judge who issued it and the warrant’s origins in a monthslong probe, initiated at the request of the National Archives into Mr. Trump’s handling of sensitive White House documents after he left office in January 2021.
The most interesting, and perhaps damning information, is likely to be hidden inside supporting affidavits presented by the Justice Department to the judge. They might, for instance, contain details about witnesses who alerted the government about materials Mr. Trump did not turn over as part of previous negotiations with the department.
But those affidavits do not have to be turned over to Mr. Trump’s legal team under law, and the department is unlikely to ever release them to the public, officials said.
That leaves two other sets of documents: the inventories of materials sought by agents going into Mar-a-Lago, and the manifest of what they carted out.
If there are any major new revelations, they could be here. The Justice Department’s request to unseal those records explicitly states that they be “redacted” to exclude the names of the law enforcement personnel who executed the warrant. What is less clear is how specific the descriptions on the lists of the documents are—which could make a significant difference.
My husband broke one of our sacred rules of marriage: He ate at McDonald’s without me.
Now, let me explain. We have a rule to try and curb our addiction to McDonald’s, and that is you can only eat Macca’s at the airport.
Any time we are flying overseas or interstate, one of the bonuses is we eat Macca’s at the airport – whether it’s hotcakes, sausages and egg McMuffins for an early flight, or Quarter Pounders with a thickshake for later flights.
That’s a rule we’ve had for five or six years, and it just works.
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‘We have a rule… and that is you can only eat Macca’s at the airport.’ (Supplied)
We recently moved to the Gold Coast, and now we have a McDonald’s that is only a three-minute walk from our house. We’ve had to be very strict and I’m proud to say we have never actually never ordered burgers from there (although, we do allow a late-night McFlurry every once in a while).
So, back to the marriage issue.
My husband has found a loophole, and I’m not happy about it. He works as a sound recordist with A Current Affair and the TodayShow weather, and with the stories they cover they are often filming at an airport.
So, Darren bought McDonald’s after his shift and said it wasn’t breaking the rules because he’d actually been in an airport. He even sent me numerous selfies to rub it in (which was pretty funny).
But I still say that is breaking the rules. It’s a slippery, slippery slope.
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Shelly Horton’s husband Darren found a loophole in their Macca’s rule. (Supplied)
Some of my friends have other tiny marriage rules that I totally understand:
“I can’t watch an episode of Yellowstone before I get home. All TV binges must be in sync.”
“You must like each other’s social media posts. A double tap on each other’s Instagram or like on Facebook posts is a virtual sign of saying ‘I got your back and I love you’.”
“We don’t buy expensive wine often, so I’ve learned not to open a bottle of special wine with one of my girlfriends instead of him. It’s special for a reason.”
“Don’t buy your partner kitchen appliances as a birthday present, even if she asks for them. Save those for just a random day of the week.”
READMORE:William and Harry ‘kept in the dark’ over new Diana series
“I work interstate a lot, so we have a rule that we both send a good morning text to say we’re thinking of each other before the work day gets hectic.”
So, do you think my husband broke the rules? Or is an airport rule an airport rule and he stayed between the lines technically? What do you guys think?
‘Til Macca’s do us part…
(Just kidding, I love you Darren!)
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Eight seniors share their best relationship advice
Xiaomi this week introduced CyberOne, a humanoid robot that looks set to take on Tesla Bot.
Tipping the scales at a hefty 52 kg and standing 1.77 meters tall, CyberOne showed up stage alongside Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun at an event in Beijing on Thursday, August 11.
I was both nervous and thrilled to interact with him on stage. What did you think of his performance by him tonight? #CyberOnepic.twitter.com/Je1eXDYEGR
The robot waddled up to Jun before handing the boss a red flower. The reason for doing so seemed unclear, though it was probably to demonstrate that CyberOne is able to competently clasp an array of objects with its mitten-like hands.
After Jun accepted the flower, Xiaomi’s first robot since CyberDog launched into a nifty kung fu move, though it thought better of decking the man who’d given the green light for its creation. Happy to still be standing, Jun then took a selfie with CyberOne and wrapped up the introduction before anything could go horribly wrong with the prototype.
A more cinematic video (below) featuring CyberOne landed on Xiaomi’s YouTube channel, though in it, the robot spends most of its time walking as if in desperate need of a bathroom — and falling over, too. So, no, it’s not yet as agile as Boston Dynamics’ somersaulting Atlas robot.
With a Mi-Sense depth vision module working alongside an AI interaction algorithm, CyberOne is able to perceive 3D space and recognize individuals, gestures, and expressions, “allowing it to not only see but to process its environment,” Xiaomi said in a release .
It added that the robot’s smarts also allow it to recognize 85 types of environmental sounds and 45 classifications of human emotion. CyberOne can detect happiness, too, and “comfort the user in times of sadness,” though the company doesn’t specify how it does this. “All of these features are integrated into CyberOne’s processing units, which are paired with a curved OLED module to display real-time interactive information,” the company explained.
CyberOne reminds us a lot of Tesla Bot, a robot unveiled last year by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The flamboyant entrepreneur said at the time that Tesla Bot would be deployed to “eliminate dangerous, repetitive, boring tasks” in the workplace. A prototype is expected to appear sometime this year.
Xiaomi’s robot also brings to mind the likes of SoftBank’s Pepper robot and Honda’s Asimo, both of which have ended up in the great robot graveyard in the sky. Hopefully, CyberOne will avoid a similarly tragic fate.
It’s not entirely clear what Xiaomi has planned for CyberOne, and judging by the contents of a tweet shared by Jun on Thursday, he’s not exactly sure either. “The story of CyberOne is one of embarking on a new journey of exploration in the field of intelligent robots,” Jun said in the post. “We still have a long way to go, but we always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.” Let’s hope so.
The Wests Tigers have been told to “win the war” over star recruit Isaiah Papali’i as the club faces a “massive moment” in its history.
The Eels enforcer was seen as a major coup when he inked a three-year $1.9 million deal in November.
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But the 23-year-old is reportedly weighing up his future after the Tigers parted ways with premiership winning coach Michael Maguire.
It is the first major challenge for the Tigers new coaching group of Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah, one that could shape the immediate future of the embattled club.
Speaking on NRL360, the Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield said it was vital that the club made sure Papali’i honored his lucrative contract.
“It’s no good the Wests Tigers having the new Sheens-Benji combination at the head of the club if they’re going to back down on something like this,” Rothfield said on Wednesday.
“It’s a crunch signing for them, as important as Api (Koroisau). They’ve got to stay strong.”
Papali’i was widely seen as one of the best new buys in the competition in 2021, as he was included in the Dally M Team of the Year after a stellar first season in blue and gold.
The talented forward played 25-games for the Eels last season, having scored seven tries, averaged 150 running meters per game, and made more than 800 tackles.
What’s more, his signature saw the Tigers part ways with the likes of Luke Garner and Luciano Leilua.
Isaiah Papali’i could backflip on his Tigers deal.Source: Getty Images
NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent said the saga surrounding Papali’i had seen the club reach a crossroads.
“It’s a massive moment in the club and the new future of the club, given the new appointment of the coaches,” he said.
Kent then questioned the re-signing of Brent Naden after the club announced this week he had inked an extension until the end of the 2025 season.
“If you’re going to go out and sell your club, Brent Naden is not the guy you’re going to go ‘look who we’ve just signed, come and play with us’,” Kent said.
“They’ve got to win the war of Papali’i first.”
Co-host Braith Anasta was also surprised by the Naden announcement and the club needed to identify what a Wests Tigers player represents.
“They’ve got the opportunity here, the Wests Tigers, and you see it with the Bulldogs at the moment, to start from the bottom up again,” Anasta said.
“They’ve got Sheens, they’ve got Marshall, great look, you want to attract players. You want to attract the right players from the start, set the tone.
“What sort of personality are you looking for? What sort of player do you want to be a Wests Tigers player? That’s what I’m talking about.”
Brent Naden signed an extension with the Tigers this week.Source: Getty Images
The Australian’s Brent Read said the Naden announcement, at a time where there is uncertainty surrounding a host of big-name Tigers stars, was not what fans wanted to see.
“He’s a tell me a dozen,” he said on NRL360.
“You know what the Wests Tigers fans want to hear about? They want to hear about (Adam) Doueihi, they want to hear about (Daine) Laurie, they want to hear about (Jackson) Hastings, they want to hear about (Luke) Brooks,” Read said.
“That’s what they care about. Brent Naden they can give or take, due respect to Brent Naden, but they want to hear what’s going on with those four blokes.”
Rothfield, however, said the club was right to lock Naden down.
“I think you’re being really unfair on that young fella, I really do,” he said.
“I think he’s a handy player,” Rothfield said. “You don’t let players go alright and handy players, you don’t not sign them.”
The drama surrounding the Tigers roster is unlikely to begin and end with Papali’i.
Luke Brooks has repeatedly been linked with a move to Newcastle despite denying he wants out.
Rumors about Luke Brooks’ future at the Tigers won’t go away.Source: Supplied
Fellow half Jackson Hastings’ future is also up in the air. The Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that Hastings, who has been playing lock, could be axed as part of a roster overhaul.
This report claimed there are people within the club who believe Hastings has had a negative influence on the playing group.
This week Rothfield then revealed another rumor surrounding Brooks which will do little to quell the feeling of uncertainty at Concord.
“There’s been all sorts of rumours,” he said.
“There was a strong one (Tuesday) that Luke Brooks was going to N and Frizell was coming to Wests Tigers as a swap. As an edge forward.
“Tim Sheens said it’s not happening but a lot of people saw it as insurance if Papali’i doesn’t come.”
Wests have also reportedly inquired about former Raiders second rower John Bateman, who is currently plying his trade back in England with Wigan.
The inquiry, as reported by Fox Sports’ James Hooper, is believed to be “unrelated to Isaiah Papali’i” and his contract drama.
“Tim’s got something going on cause I spoke to him this week, I asked him about Papali’i and he said ‘he’s coming and don’t worry there’s other stuff happening,” Read added.
“Edge backrower is an area that they need to address. He’d be a really handy one for them.”
Northern Territory Police officers “do not have confidence” in Commissioner Jamie Chalker, have low morale and are lacking resources, according to a damning union survey.
Key points:
1,044 NT Police Association members took part in the survey – about 65 per cent of union membership
79.7 per cent of surveyed members said they did not have confidence in Commissioner Jamie Chalker
The survey was conducted after multiple police regions requested a vote of no confidence in the Commissioner
The NT Police Association (NTPA), a union which represents officers, undertook a survey of its members after calls for a vote of no confidence in Commissioner Chalker.
1,044 officers took part in the survey out of 1,608 who were eligible, which the union said was the highest number of participants ever.
79.7 per cent said they did not have confidence in the commissioner.
The survey comes as concerns grow about crime in the Northern Territory, which has become a major issue in the upcoming by-election in the seat of Fannie Bay.
There has also been another jump in domestic violence cases.
Paul McCue said the results would be discussed at the union’s annual conference next week. (ABC News: Mitchell Woolnough)
Police force ‘in complete crisis’, union claims
In an internal email from union president Paul McCue, seen by the ABC, the key issues identified by the survey included low morale, pay freeze concerns and a lack of resources.
“92.6 per cent of respondents said they do not think there are enough police in the NT to do what is being asked of them,” Mr McCue wrote.
79.4 per cent of respondents rated current morale in the NT Police Force as low, or very low [and] 87.9 per cent of respondents said they were dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with the current pay freeze offer from the Commissioner and Government.”
In a media statement released this morning, Mr McCue said the results showed the police force was “in complete crisis”.
“Our members do not have confidence in the commissioner, they overwhelmingly reject the government’s … pay freeze,” he said.
“They think morale is at an all-time low, and there clearly needs to be an urgent review into staffing which is completely insufficient to undertake the roles our members are being forced to do.”
Yuendumu shooting among reasons for confidence vote
Survey questions seen by the ABC asked respondents to give reasons why they had no confidence in Mr Chalker’s leadership.
Among the multiple-choice options was “the management and communication relating to the Yuendumu critical incident.”
NT Police Constable Zachary Rolfe was charged, and later found not guilty, of murder after shooting Yuendumu man Kumanjayi Walker during an attempted arrest in 2019.
In March, Commissioner Chalker “completely rejected” allegations of any political interference regarding the matter.
Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of all charges in March.(ABC News: Che Chorley)
Other reasons officers could give for a lack of confidence included “does not understand the challenges of NT policing”, “the application of the disciplinary and complaints process” and a “failure to retain police”.
Commissioner ‘aware of confidence sentiment’
In a statement this morning, Commissioner Chalker said he had been notified of the survey results on Thursday night.
“We have been aware of the confidence sentiment for some time,” he said.
The Commissioner said he intended to discuss the results at the NT Police Association’s annual conference in Darwin next week, after further details had been provided to the union’s members over coming days.
Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker says he’ll directly address the issues at next week’s conference. (ABC NewsTiffany Parker)
“We remain committed to working with our people and the NTPA to continue to advance the NT Police Force and the health and wellbeing of all of our members,” he said.
“We look forward to discussing the issues raised in the survey and talking directly to the conference next week.”
Union Conference to be held next week
Mr McCue said in the email to union members that the results and “any further action to be considered” would be discussed at next week’s annual conference.
“From the outset, I have been upfront about providing the results of this survey to not only the membership, but also the Commissioner of Police and Government,” he wrote.
“Which ensures as much openness and transparency around the results as possible.”
Mr McCue also said Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, Police Minister Kate Worden and Shadow Police Minister Lia Finocchiaro had been notified of the results.
